HAYS, KS -- In conjunction with the opening of the eighth Great Plains National Exhibition, Fort Hays State University's Department of Art will sponsor a gallery talk by the exhibition's juror, Dr. Leesa Fanning, assistant curator of contemporary and modern art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, MO.

Fanning will speak at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22, in the Moss-Thorns Gallery of Art in Rarick Hall. The Great Plains National opening reception runs from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday. Both events are open to the public.

A competitive exhibition, the Great Plains National was created by FHSU's Art Department in 1995 to showcase the best small paintings, prints, drawings and sculpture in the country. The exhibition allows students and the general public to keep current with artistic trends developing outside the Midwest.

The Great Plains National Exhibition will be displayed through March 22. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.